South Sudan to transform SPLA to a conventional army

Aug 4, 2006 (JUBA) — In an effort to transform the Sudan People’s Liberation Army into a conventional and professional army, the SPLA has embarked on an intensive military training of its former guerrilla soldiers.

SPLA troops line up during a public rally in Rumbek on January 10, 2005 to celebrate a final peace agreement with the Khartoum government.

Speaking at the SPLA General Headquarters last week in Juba, SPLA spokesman Major-General Kuol Deim Kuol said at least 5,000 soldiers are undergoing training in New Cush, but that training is also going on in other several other parts of southern Sudan, the Sudan Radio Service reported

“We are training one brigade of about 5,000. This is a special operations brigade. We have a full division of about 15,000 SPLA soldiers that are almost completing training in Wingebol area and another full division in Upper Nile. This is part and parcel of our strategy to transform the SPLA from a guerrilla army into a regular conventional army.”

The SPLA spokesman also called on the Sudan Armed Forces to redeploy about 3000 southern Sudanese SAF army soldiers in Juba to northern Sudan as stipulated in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

(SRS)